When we experience the unpleasant sensations of anxiety, we also begin to have thoughts about those sensations.
These thoughts may be:
‘I can’t cope with this.’
‘What if this gets worse?’
‘What if these feelings never stop?’
‘I think I’m going mad.’
‘What if I never have a normal life again?’
And very quickly, we can begin to tell ourselves stories about what these sensations mean and what might happen in the future.
The problem isn’t simply that we have these thoughts.
The problem is that we buy into them.
We identify with them and believe they are true.
And because we believe them, we keep focusing on them.
One anxious thought leads to another:
What if this happens…?
And what if that happens…?
And what if I can’t cope…?
And so the story continues.
And as we continue to focus on the story, our body continues to respond with anxiety.
But imagine for a moment that you experienced the sensations without the story.
There would simply be sensations in your body.
They might feel unpleasant, but without all the frightening thoughts about what they mean or what might happen next, those sensations would be allowed to rise, fall and eventually pass.
This is a very important thing to understand.
Our thoughts and our focus can keep the anxiety cycle going.
And once we understand that, something else becomes possible.
We have a choice.
We don’t have to follow the next anxious thought.
We don’t have to answer every ‘What if…?’
We don’t have to continue the story.
The thought may appear — that’s okay.
But we can recognise it as an anxiety thought, rather than something we have to believe or follow.
And then we can choose where we place our attention next.
If our focus has been helping to keep the anxiety going, changing our focus can begin to break the habit and pattern of anxiety.
This is one of the first steps towards overcoming anxiety.
And there are many different ways we can learn to do this.
Next – So simple but so powerful – click here
Important Principle – – – Attitude – – – Focus Attitude
Present Moment – – – – Acceptance – – It’s Not Me
No Matter What – – – Little Steps – – Persistence